Boron carbide is an excellent material for applications such as armor plates, drill bits and cutting tools because this material has a melting point of 2450.degree. C., a density 2.52 g/cm.sup.3, and very hard refractory characteristics. However, these properties of boron carbide also lessen the use of this material because an expensive furnace is required for heating materials to temperatures greater than 2000.degree. C. and expensive cutting and grinding equipment is required for shaping a hard refractory material of this type into a desired configuration. In addition, long periods of time are required for heating materials of this type to sintering temperatures and maintenance of inert atmospheres are expensive for the long periods of time required for sintering operations.
Boron carbide has been sintered in conventional furnaces at temperatures ranging from 2150.degree. to 2250.degree. C. in an inert atmosphere by adding small amounts of free carbon ranging from 0.5 to 3.5 wt.%. However, long periods of time and expensive furnaces were required for heating the boron carbide to these temperatures and the cost of maintaining an inert atmosphere was significant.